Ed Snyder began this blog in order to share his decade-long experience with all things cemeterial. As a photographer specializing in images of cemetery statuary, I've run into some interesting people, had some unexplainable experiences, and had a lot of fun.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Easter Egg Hunt in a Graveyard?

One of many areas decorated for West Laurel Hill Cemetery's Easter egg hunt

So here’s a short blog about an Easter egg hunt in a
graveyard. Sounds kind of morbid, I will admit. However, cemeteries are doing
anything they can these days to engage the community, to bring people through
the gates (live people, that is), with the expectation that perhaps they will
garner business at a later date.

West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania (a
suburb of Philadelphia) has been having Easter egg hunts for the past fourteen
years, if I heard the announcement correctly at the March 19, 2016 egg hunt.

Another benefit of public engagement is that you help people
accept death, as inevitable as death is. Come to the cemetery with your kids,
have a fun time, see the pretty spring blossoms on the trees and flowers.
Subconsciously you think, hey, this is not so bad. Not scary at all. Kind of
like all the techniques used by childrens’ dentists these days to allay kids’
anxiety and yes, fears.

We fear death. However, Rachel Wolgemuth, in her book, Cemetery Tours and Programming (2016, Rowman and Littlefield), suggests ways to increase a community’s respect for these
spaces. She describes “the reuses of both historic and contemporary burial
grounds through the lenses of recreation, education, and reflection.” Rachel
happens to be a friend of mine and coincidentally, works at West Laurel Hill
Cemetery – so she speaks with authority.

Children waiting to dash, just before the tower bell struck eleven o'clock.

Why authority? Because West Laurel has obviously found ways
to generate good will toward the community and to help “reimagine what burial
grounds can be through the creation of innovative tours and programming.” The
first Easter egg hunt I ever attended was here, with my wife and not-quite-two-year-old
daughter, in 2011. It was fun, and I wrote about it in this blog (click link to
take you there).

I must say that five years later, this event has become
something extraordinary. There were about 350 kids this time, and 8,000 eggs! (They
had 3,000 eggs in 2011).) The coordination, parking, scheduling, announcements,
and pre-hunt activities for kids were much improved from the last time.
Greatest improvement? Sections of lawn designated by signage for all the
different age groups! This way, the little tykes didn’t get bowled over by the
bigger kids and end up with no eggs. EVERYBODY got a bag full of big colorful
plastic eggs filled with candy.

Easter Egg Hunt at West Laurel Hill Cemetery

After the hunt, there were prizes drawn for those who
registered when they first arrived – golden eggs with a five-dollar-bill
inside! There was music over the P.A. system outside and announcements were
made to let everyone know what was happening next. But I’m getting ahead of
myself here (that’s kind of how exciting it all was).

Daughter Olivia with Easter Bunnies!

The event was well-advertised locally. Registration began at
10 a.m., with TWO costumed (human) Easter Bunnies greeting visitors at the door
to the conservatory (a building at the back of the cemetery, near the oldest
graves). As you registered, you got to pick out a giant Zitner’s candy Easter
egg. (Zitner's donated TONS of Easter candies to West Laurel for this event.) There
was someone making balloon animals outside, as well as an artist drawing kids’
caricatures.

Registration for Egg Hunt

If it was too chilly for some outside, a huge room was set up inside
for kids to create all kinds of Easter-themed arts and crafts. There were
people doing face-painting as well.

Kids having fun at one of the indoor arts and crafts tables

Mausoleum walkway lined with candy!

When eleven o’clock approached, everyone went outside. It
was a cool, overcast morning, and the lawns were littered with thousands of
colored eggs as well as clear cellophane-wrapped chocolate eggs. I rather liked
how they lined the walkway of this mausoleum with candies! The announcement was
made that when the bell tower struck eleven o’clock, children were free to run
amidst the mausoleums and monuments and collect as many eggs as they could
carry in their bags and baskets! My now six-year-old daughter had a wonderful
time.

Leaving the cemetery was well-coordinated, with orange
traffic cones lining the roads and helpful cemetery employees pointing the way.
West Laurel Hill Cemetery is a rather confusing place, but thanks to the dedicated professionals running it, a very welcoming place.